Snyder, speaking to about 150 young people and tech executives at A2Geeks' Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup at the University of Michigan, said Michigan has experienced two definable eras: Michigan 1.0, the pre-1900 era dominated by the fur trade and lumberjacks, and Michigan 2.0, the "industrial age" from 1900 to 2010.

"I believe we need to start a new era in this state. I call it Michigan 3.0. Literally I think we need to start the innovation era in Michigan," Snyder said.

His talk - part of a series of meetings throughout the state - included several new details about his policy viewpoints. The Battle Creek native, who earned bachelor's, master's and law degrees from U-M by age 23, said he'd soon release further details in a 10-point plan. Last night Snyder:

• Called for the state to eliminate the Michigan Business Tax and conduct a wholesale restructuring of its tax system to create a more competitive economic environment, particularly for small businesses. "The Single Business Tax was probably the dumbest tax created in the United States in the past 50 years," Snyder said of the MBT's predecessor. "Somehow we managed to come out with an even stupider answer than we had. It's got to go away."

• Indicated that he doesn't intend to make social issues a key part of his campaign. Drew Leahy, CEO of Ann Arbor-based startup MyBandStock.com, suggested that Snyder could run into problems associated with various social issues. "How do you rise up above the social issues?" he asked Snyder.

"Social issues are not going to be on my agenda," Snyder responded. "I address questions about social issues when they ask them and I'm open to giving people answers," he said. But Michigan residents have a primary concern, Snyder said: "No. 1 is the economy, No. 2 is the economy and No. 3 is the economy."

• Suggested that he expects to make "a reasonably good contribution" to the campaign from his own financial resources. Some political experts believe Snyder could only become a contender if he has the financial wherewithal to spend his way to the top.

Snyder acknowledged that his own contribution would be critical "because I don't have name ID." Still, he said his contribution would be a "minority percentage, because I believed that if people wouldn't contribute, I shouldn't be running."

He also said he wouldn't accept money from political action committees. "I'm taking no money from special interests in this campaign. I have only one vested interest in this job, and that's representing the citizens of Michigan," he said.

• Said General Motors' likely bankruptcy filing was "an awful thing." But "I'm not sure there's any other way around it. If we want them to succeed, these issues need to be fixed," he said. However, he suggested that the federal government and United Auto Workers union should seek to quickly unload their equity stakes in GM after the deal is done. "I really get concerned when you get the UAW and the United States government being the major shareholders," Snyder said.

• Indicated that he would support a movement to make Michigan a "right-to-work" state. "I think it would be helpful if Michigan was 'right-to-work' but primarily from a marketing perspective. I think it would show the rest of the country that we're open for business," he said, adding, "I'm not an anti-union person, though. I would rather have the unions be part of it."